Marine propulsion device



' April 6 1926.

J. H. PIERCE MARINE PRoPULsIoN DEVICE Filed Oct. 10. 1924 INVENTOR. afd/77e.: /z'c A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 6, 1,926.

UNITED STA-TES JAMES H. PIERCE, F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN` MARINE PEoPULsIoN DEVICE.

Application led October 10, 1924. Serial No. 742,814.

,.jyTo all inkom t may concern.;

' Be it known that I, JAMES H. PIERCE, av

citizen of the nited States of America, and a resident of Bay' City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigamhave invented new and useful Improvements in Marine Propulsion Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in marine propulsion devices, and particularly to the submerged gear case and propeller shaft housing assembly of the conventional outboard motor.

yOne object of the invention is to design a propeller shaft housing and gear case assembly having new and novel means for forcing the water to the water jacket-of the motorl and whereby the usual pump is eliminated.

VAnother object is to design power and propeller shaft housings of simple and substantial design, and in which water intake and overflow passages are cored in or piped to the'water jacket of the motor.

A further object is to designga gear casing to eliminate the possibility`of sand or water getting into the gears or propeller shaft bearings.

The above and other objects will appear as the specification progresses, reference bein had to the accompanying drawing in whifili I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout lthe several views thereof.

In the drawing.

Fig. 1 is .a fragmentary verticalsectional view of a power shaft housing gear case and -propeller shaft housing.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 4 is also a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 showing an alternate form of construction.

It has always been .somewhat troublesome in outboard motors to provide simple means for forcing water up to cool the cylinders of portable motors of this type, as it generally necessitates aforce pumpv equipped with valves operated by a cam or other device, and these valves stick and grind duey to the sand and foreign matter Ataken into the pump with the water, the pum is therefore short lived, expensive to bui d, and is subject to'clogging, it also necessitates a bulky design which must be forced through the water, with the consequent loss of power, and these objectionable features I have overcome by eliminating the pump and providing a structure not affected by sand and foreign matter and which'has no movable parts.

In my improved design I provide a vertically extending power shaft housing which can be cast of aluminum or other light metal, this is preferably wedge shaped as shown, the edges being thin and sharp to eliminate water resistance.

A power shaft 3 is/rotatably mounted in this power shaft housing which is cored to receive it, and a bushing 4 is fitted to the lower end thereof which is cored to form a gear casing, a thrust bearing 5 being Vmounted in this bushing, and a bevel gear 6 is keyed on the lower end of thev power shaft, meshing with and driving a bevel gear 7 mounted on a propeller shaft `8, which is journaledin a propeller shaft housing 9, this housing is cylindrical in shape, the top half being cast integral with the power shaft housing, the lower half beino machined and fitted thereto, and is held iii place by screws (not shown) in the usual 1 manner. Bearings 10 and 1l are mounted in this housing, and the propeller shaft 8 is journaled thereon, the one end projecting beyond the housing and having a propeller member l2 fixed thereon, the front end of the shaft being 'ournaled in a sleeve bearing HElsSur-:D

13 formed in t e housing proper. It will also be obvious that the front endor nose of the housing can be formed separate and threaded to engage the main body, or it can be bolted thereto if desired, this is however merely a detail of construction.

An intake port or opening 14 is located in the end or nose of the ropeller shaft housing, and leads to a c amber 15k through which the propeller shaft extends, said chamber communicating with an upwardly extending passage 1G formed in the power shaft housing. .A spiral 1-7 formed of thin metal, is mounted on the propeller. shaft 8 in this Vchamber 15, and as the water enters through-said port, the spiral forces it up this passage and to the water jacketaof the engine, (not shown).

A similar passage 18 is formed on the opposite side of the power shaft for accommodating the overflow or discharge, and ,f

opens directly adjacent the propeller and below the water line, locating the overflow at this point also has its advantages, as the displacement of water by the propeller. sets up a partial vacuum to accelerate the circulation or flow of the water in the water jacket, further, when reversing with a motor where a conventional pump is used, the supply is either entirely cut off, lr reduced to such extent as to be entirely insufficient. In my improved construction a full Isupply is assured regardless of the direction of rotation of the motor, as the reversing thereof merely reverses the direction of flow of water to the water jacket, the propeller forcing it into the passage 18, the spiral 17 forcing it out of the intake' port above described.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing I have shown an alternate form of construction, the power Y( and communicating `shaft shaft housing being pressed, with tubes of brass or copper secured therein for the propeller shaft and water passages, this makes a vvery li ht and economical housing, the principle eing identically similar to that above described. It will also be obvious that a screen should be placed over the intake port to exclude chips, weeds and foreign matter.

From the foregoing descriptionI it will be obvious that I have perfected a.v very simple, substantial and economical marine propulsion device which is very eliicient in o eration, and is composed of a minimum num er of arts.

What I c aim is 1. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertically dis osed knife edged wedge shaped power sha t housing, a propeller shaft housing, a power shaft in said power shaft housing, water intake and outlet passages adjacent the power shaft, and an intake port in the propeller shaft housing with said intake passage. 2. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertically disposed power shaft housing, a longitudinally disposed propeller shaft housing integral therewith, water intake and outlet passages in said power shaft housing, an intake port in the propeller shaft housing and communicating with ,the intake passage, and a spiral interposed between said port and said passage for forcing water up saidintake passage.

In a marine propulsion device formed with a vertically disposed power shaft housing, a longitudinally disposed propeller housing integral therewith, a propeller journaled thereon, water intake and outlet passages in said housing, -an outlet port opening directly adjacent the propeller, an intake port in the propeller shaft housing and communicating with the intake passage,

` and means mounted in the said housing-for forcing waterup the intake passage.

4. In a marine propulsion device provided with a power shaft housing, a

ierewith,

intake and outlet passages in said power shaft housing, an intake port in the propeller shaft housing and communicating with the said intake passage, and a spiral interposed between said port and said passage. 4

5. In a marine propulsion device provided with a power shaft housing, a propeller shaft housing integral therewith, intake and outlet passages formed in.. said power shaft housing, an intake port in said propeller shaft housing and communicating with said intake passage, and a spiral interposed between said port and said passage for forcing water into said passage.

A 6. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertically disposed wedge shaped power shaft housing having sharp' edges,

a gear casing on the lower end thereof, a-

propeller shaft housing, water intake and outlet below the normal water line, and an intake port in the propeller shaft housing and communicating with said intake passage.

7 In a marine propulsion device provided with a power shaft housing, intake and outlet passages therein, a power shaft journaled therein, apropeller shaft housing below said passages adjacent the power shaft and power shaft housing, apropeller shaft therein, and having driving connection with said power shaft, an intake port in the propeller shaft housing and communicatingl with the intake passage, and a spiral mount`V ed on the propeller shaft and interposed in said passage.

8. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertical power shaft housing, a propeller shaft housing integral therewith, intake and outlet passages in said housing, a power shaft journaled therein, and having driving connection with a propeller shaft journaled in the propeller shaft housing, a propeller mounted thereon, a spiral mounted on said shaft in the said housing, an intake port communicating with said intake passage,.and a discharge port directly adjacent the propeller.

9. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertically disposed power shaft housing, a longitudinally disposed propeller shaft housing formed-integral therewith, intake and outlet passages formed in said housing and forming a continuous circuit with the `water jacket of a motor, an intake port in the nose of the propeller shaft housing and communicating with the intake passage, shaft housing directly adjacent the propeller.

.propeller shaft journaled therein, intake and and an outlet port in the powery outlet passages in said housing and forming a continuous circuit with the water'jacket of a motor, an intake port in thel propeller shaft housing, and a spiral mounted on the propeller shaft and interposed in said intake passage.

11. In a marine propulsion device provided with a power shaft having driving connection with a propeller shaft journaled in a propeller shaft housing, intake and outlet passages adjacent said ower shaft, an intake port in said gear casing and connecting with said intake passage, and a spiral mounted on the propeller sha-ft and interposed in said intake passage.

12. In a marine propulsion device formed passages in said propeller shaft and power i shaft housings opening below the normal water level.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my slgnature.

JAMES H. HEROE. 

